


every kind of way

by zigsexual (anythingbutloud)



Series: the driam vignettes [9]
Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: M/M, wow for once minimal to no angst!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-10-04 18:38:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17309801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anythingbutloud/pseuds/zigsexual
Summary: liam kisses him. and this time he doesn't stop.





	every kind of way

His eyes fall shut and he pulls Liam to him, arms wrapped around him as their lips come together, finally, _finally_ ; Liam’s hands in his hair tilting his head just so, barely breathing as they both become more urgent, more insistent, pouring years of longing into a single moment. Drake feels lightheaded but he can’t possibly let Liam go, can’t risk the chance that he may not come back, so instead he tightens his hold against his shoulders and kisses him the way he’s wanted to since this whole ordeal began.

He winds a hand up into his hair and tugs his mouth closer, teeth dragging against his lips as Liam’s thumbs brush over his cheekbones. His heart is pounding, blood rushing in his ears, Liam’s scent overwhelming him until all he can do is anchor in against his hair as Liam moves to kiss down his neck, leaving him breathless. Liam pauses at the hollow of his throat, and Drake pulls him back up, parting his lips with his tongue, one hand sliding down Liam’s shoulders to clutch at the small of his back.

Liam’s breath hitches, and Drake fits his other hand against the side of his face, fingers curling in around the back of his neck. He’s lost in the feeling of Liam like this: so close in all the ways he’s wanted for years, as dangerously intoxicating as ever. He sighs into Liam’s mouth, letting Liam guide him this time, kisses light and gentle until they’re absolutely not.

He feels Liam’s eyelashes against his skin as he kisses up Drake’s cheekbones, hands brushing through his hair, Drake barely holding in a gasp as his chest tightens with a swell of emotion. He lets his head fall back ever so slightly as Liam’s lips find the spot just under his ear, lingering there before moving down Drake’s jawline agonizingly slow.

“Liam,” Drake breathes, struggling to speak as Liam sets his nerves on fire. “ _God_ , Liam…”

Liam kisses the words right out of his mouth, tongue against his teeth, messy and hot and filled with all the longing of every moment they’d locked eyes and wished they could be alone like this again. It’s all-consuming, Drake’s mind going blank as their lips come together, his arms wrapped around Liam’s neck now, so intertwined he can practically taste the desire on his tongue.

Liam pulls back just slightly. He’s completely out of breath, face flushed, tilting in against Drake’s forehead so close that their lips are barely a hair apart. Drake blinks up at him, out of focus.

“Drake,” Liam breathes, “I’m in love with you.”

“What?” Drake murmurs, still not quite all there.

Liam takes his face in his hands, gazing at him with a tenderness reserved only for their private moments. “I know this is the _worst_ timing, and I know circumstances could not be less ideal, but honestly, I don’t even care anymore. I don’t care what anyone has to say about it. I’m the King now, so they all answer to me.” His voice quiets, taking on a warmth Drake can feel all the way to his toes. “And I only answer to you.”

Drake stares at him, eyes wide, letting the words wash over him like a wave, the current too strong to fight back against. As if he wanted to fight it in the first place. “What are you saying?”

“I’m in love with you,” Liam repeats, eyes raking over Drake’s face, drinking him in. “I think about you constantly. I miss you so much it feels like my heart is breaking every time I see you. If you don’t feel the same way, you have to tell me right now, because otherwise I don’t know if I can let you go.”

“Liam, you colossal idiot,” Drake says, “Why else would I spend that much money on a fucking compass?”

Liam pulls him in, tugging on his hair, Drake tightening his arms around his neck as their lips come together again and again and again, each time surer than the last, each breath more ragged than before. Drake feels like a teenager all over again, starved for affection from the one who matters most, clinging to him until their lungs burn. It’s the necessary crescendo to their constant minor key, a moment told in whole note kisses and flushed cheeks. Suddenly it’s hard to remember how he ever spent a second without Liam in his arms like this, touching him so desperately, holding him so close.

“Stay with me tonight,” Liam says, whispering against his lips, “Stay with me.”

“We… we _can’t_.”

“Says who?”

“It’s…” Drake can feel Liam’s fingers dip down against his collarbone. “I’m not your —”

“What if you were?”

Drake can’t breathe. “God — don’t, don’t say that, Liam I… I know you don’t mean it, but when you say it, it makes me think…”

“I do mean it,” Liam says, pulling back and gripping his shoulders, “I’ve never meant anything more. I love you, I love you so much it’s like a part of me.”

“Don’t  _say_ that.”

“Shut up.” Liam leans in against his forehead. “Just shut up for once, Drake. I love you, I always have, I always will. If I’m not with you when we leave here… there’s no point in going back at all. We can figure out the logistics later, we can handle all of that. All I know is I can’t spend another day playing pretend when you’re always going to be the love of my life.”

Drake gazes back at him, too many emotions trying to take control of him at once. “We… I…”

“Just say yes. Please just say yes.”

He feels drunk, everything in his mind running too slowly, fingers numb against the heat of Liam’s skin. Even his eyelids are heavy, weighed down by the way Liam looks at him like he’s already pressed into the mattress.

“Do you love me?” Liam asks.

“Of course,” Drake answers, “Of course I love you.”

“Then let me choose you,” Liam’s voice is desperate. “For once, let me do something for _you_.”

Drake hesitates. “You promised you would choose me before, and… and you didn’t. I can’t go through that again. I need to know… you have to fucking mean it.”

“I know, I…” Liam brings a hand up to Drake’s face, brushing his fingers along his cheek. “I said things I couldn’t mean. I never should have been reckless with you.”

“You fucked me up,” Drake says, “I thought we would _make it_ , Liam. I believed in us.”

“Did you think you were the only one?” Liam asks. “You’re my other half. I thought I would never be _me_ again without you. Do you know how many times I almost called it all off, almost begged you to run away with me? I had a whole plan: where we would stay, how we would get there, what our new lives would look like. But it wouldn’t have been right. You deserve more than that; you deserve all of me. And I can’t give all of myself to you if I have to leave behind my country.”

“I know that,” Drake says gently, “and I don’t want you to leave any of yourself behind. We’re in this together now; you don’t have to sacrifice yourself for me. I love all of you, even the royal parts. How could I not?”

Liam smiles at the words, but his expression is still stained with sadness. “I’m scared I won’t be able to protect you, and if something happened to you because of me… I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. I want this to be perfect for you, to be normal. And with me, who I am… I can never give you that. I can never keep you safe.”

“You can’t control everything,” Drake touches Liam’s hair, fingers threading through it, thumb along his temple. “Real life is risky and that’s what makes it _good_ , Liam. I’m not asking you to protect me, or to make things perfect for me, all I want is to be with you. None of that stuff matters to me as long as I have you.”

Liam leans into his touch, his steady gaze sweeping across Drake’s face. “I know I’ve been pushing you away for a while, and I’ll never be able to apologize enough for that. I suppose I thought I was making things easier for you. For both of us. But instead… it’s never been so difficult.” He sighs, and it’s heavy with hidden pain. “I’m just so terrified of losing you.”

“You’ve said that before,” Drake runs his thumb along Liam’s cheek, stroking the skin gently. “Why do you think you’re going to lose me?”

“I lose everyone,” Liam says, “I always do.”

“Hey,” Drake takes his face in both hands. “I know how you feel, alright? I know what loss does. After my dad died… it felt like nothing made sense anymore, like everything I’d been taught about the world was a lie. Bad things can happen to good people, you know? Nothing is set in stone.” He takes a deep breath, steeling himself as he looks into Liam’s eyes. “Look, I don’t know what’s going to happen with us going forward, but right now, with you… just think how lucky we are to have something we never want to lose. God, Liam, the only reason it hurts like hell to miss you is because of how much I love you in the first place.”

“That’s…” Liam’s eyes are watery. “Drake…”

“I’m not giving up on you,” Drake insists, “Let’s choose each other, okay? Can you do that?”

Liam nods, blinking back tears as they try to escape. “Sorry, sorry, I…”

“You don’t have to be strong for me,” Drake says, letting his hands come down to rest on Liam’s shoulders. “That’s what love is. Being weak together sometimes.”

“Good,” Liam laughs, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand, “Because I am _so_ weak when it comes to you.”

Drake pulls Liam close, wrapping his arms around him, breathing him in as he nestles in against his neck. “Liam,” he says, “You’re my forever. If you say we can make it work… we’ll make it work.”

Liam exhales softly. “You’re sure?”

“You’re the only thing I’ve ever been sure of. Who would I be if I said no to you now?”

Liam pulls back to look at him. “I need you to know that I’m serious. If we’re going to be together, I want it to mean something outside of this room, too. I want to promise you something real this time.” He bites the corner of his lip, eyes raking over Drake’s face. “I really fucking mean it.”

Drake grins, fingers threading up into Liam’s hair. “Me too. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

Liam kisses him again, this time gentler, more intimate — an echo of the way they had come together before. There’s something raw about the way Liam breathes in against him this time, as if this kiss is a not only the follow-up to his words, but a promise in itself.

When he finally breaks, nuzzling in against Drake’s face, Drake sighs happily. He can feel Liam smile at the sound. “You know…” Drake’s voice drops to a whisper, lips ghosting over Liam’s skin. “You _can_ be reckless with me.”

Liam draws his lower lip between his teeth, slowly. “Yeah?”

“Anything you want, your  _majesty_.”

“Wait,” Liam pulls back, his face shifting. “I don’t… can you not call me that?”

“Oh — sorry, I just —”

“No, no — it’s fine, I’m not upset. It’s… the titles, the formal address…” Liam looks embarrassed. “It makes me feel like I’m separated from you. In here, with you… I’m just Liam, okay? It’s all I want to be.”

“Of course,” Drake smiles. “My Liam.”

Liam smiles back, a giddy light in his eyes.

“Your Liam,” he says, “That’s the only title I need. Always yours.”

“Okay then,” Drake kisses the corner of his mouth. “What now, Just Liam?”

“Hmm,” Liam traces a finger up Drake’s neck, pausing at the line of his jaw before leaning in, lips barely an inch from his ear. “You told me once you used to dream about me. Tell me about them. About your dreams.”

“I…” Drake stumbles over his words, breath hitching as Liam kisses just under his jaw. “Wh-what?”

“Tell me what I did,” Liam murmurs into his skin, his mouth warm against Drake’s neck. “I want to know what you dreamed I would do to you.”

“Oh Jesus,” Drake inhales sharply, one hand coming up instinctively to thread in Liam’s hair. “I don’t… god, Liam. Where do I start?”

Liam shifts then, pulling Drake’s mouth to his, tongue running along his lower lip until Drake opens his mouth to him, fingers digging in against Liam’s scalp. The kiss is messy, Drake barely stifling a moan, and Liam’s hand tightens slightly against his neck as he tilts Drake towards him.

When Liam pulls back, Drake is wide-eyed and breathless. Liam touches two fingers gently against his swollen lips.

“Start here,” he says.  

“Fuck,” Drake whispers, eyes never leaving his face.

Liam trails his hand slowly down Drake’s chest, dragging his fingers over the fabric of his shirt before pausing, curled in the top of his jeans.

“Unless you want to start here?” Liam asks, the same two fingers tracing lightly along the hidden skin. Drake’s breath hitches, his hand tightening in Liam’s hair.

“No matter where we start,” he answers, voice low, “You’re usually not wearing this much clothing.”

“That can be arranged.”

The words are barely out of his mouth before Drake is kissing him again, hands fiddling with his tie while Liam shoves the sleeves of Drake’s jacket over his shoulders. He’s already begun undoing the buttons on Drake’s shirt when Drake pulls back with a frustrated sigh, brow furrowed.

“What the fuck _is_ this?” he says. “I can’t get it off.”

“Oh,” Liam looks down, frowning. “I forgot, this is the ceremonial garb for foreign visitation. It’s kind of complicated.”

“Sorry, did you just call it ‘ _garb’_?” Drake tries to hold in his laughter. “You’re so ridiculous.”

“Well, that’s what it is! It’s very difficult to get on.”

“Okay then,” Drake fully laughs this time, kissing Liam’s forehead. “Show me how to take it _off_.”

“There’s some sort of clasp at the front…” Liam fiddles with the medallion for a moment, Drake watching with his shirt still half unbuttoned.

“I can’t believe your clothes are cockblocking me.”

“Really?” Liam raises an eyebrow at him. “Out of all this, that’s the _one_ thing you can’t believe?”

“Well fine, when you put it that way.” Drake crosses his arms. “I mean… technically I guess you could just leave it on.”

“That’s a logistical nightmare,” Liam answers, head down as he focuses on finding the tiny hook. “Also, I don’t think I could replace any of — oh thank  _god_.”

Liam pulls the offending object off his neck and tosses it towards the couch in the center of the room, undoing his cufflinks next and holding them out to Drake. “Can you put these somewhere? They’re diamond and I probably shouldn’t lose them.”

“Did you seriously just ask me that?” Drake says, taking them from his hand and making a face. “You’re so disgustingly rich.”

“You live in my house; don’t complain about how rich I am.” Liam points at the vanity table near the door. “If you just set them —”

Drake tosses them in the direction of the couch.

Liam sighs. “I don’t know why I bother.”

Drake waits until Liam undoes the buttons on his vest and shrugs it off, turning so Drake can find the fastener for his sash. As he follows the red fabric with his fingers, he makes a frustrated sound. “Please never wear this again.”

“Noted.”

“Is it this button thing I’m supposed to use? Why do you have so many buttons? Oh — hey, wait, I think I got it!”

He leans around Liam, holding the sash up triumphantly, but Liam is already pulling out the knot of his tie and tugging it off, only his shirt left.

“Okay,” Drake drops the sash, stepping back in front to begin unfastening the buttons. “ _This_ I can do.”

Liam kisses him, a hand on either side of his face, laughing against his lips as Drake finally shoves Liam’s shirt over his shoulders. His hands find their way along Liam’s jaw, cupping his face and pulling him closer, muted giggles still shared between them as they stumble backwards a little, Drake catching himself against the wall.

Liam steps back, pulling off the rest of Drake’s shirt until they’re both standing there, looking at each other.

“You’re so…” Drake bites his lip, reaching out and running his fingers down Liam’s chest, gaze following along with his touch. “God damn, I forgot you look like this.”

He lifts his eyes to Liam’s, face already flushing at the thought of being with him again. “You’re… I mean, you’re sure you want to do this? The media, your family, the country… it’s going to be a shitshow.”

“You know what?” Liam says, taking both Drake’s hands in his. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

Drake leans in against him, heart beating so fast he’s sure Liam can feel it. “You have no idea how much I want you right now.”

“Or maybe I do,” Liam says, stepping forward just enough that Drake’s back hits the wall behind him. “Now… I believe you were telling me about your dreams?”

They come together like muscle memory, Liam’s hands twisting in Drake’s hair, Drake with his fingers digging into Liam’s hips, mouths urgent and desperate and longing. They’re breathing so heavy everything sounds like a gasp, Drake slipping his leg between Liam’s and hooking around his ankle, tugging him even closer as the places where their bodies touch burn.

“Jesus, Liam,” Drake says on an exhale, “You’re _so_ much better than a dream.”

“I’ve missed seeing you like this,” Liam says, kissing along his shoulders, down to his chest. “Having you here, just for me.”

Drake runs his fingers through the hair at the nape of Liam’s neck. “Not a bad view up here either.”

Liam smiles against his skin. “I know a better one.”

And when he kneels down, looking up through his eyelashes like that, it’s all Drake can do to fist a hand in his own hair as he says through his teeth, “ _Shit_ , Liam.”

Liam hooks his thumbs into the belt loops on Drake’s pants and tugs them down, eyes still locked on Drake’s. Drake lets out a long, breathy exhale, biting his lip, nails digging in against his scalp as he watches. Liam presses a kiss just above his waistband, then, ever so slowly, drags his teeth down slightly, catching on the elastic and pulling.

“Oh fuck,” Drake covers his face with a hand, “Liam, I wanna —”

“Yeah?” Liam moves to kiss the divots of his hips, lips like fire. “You want me, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Drake manages, voice weak.

“You want me right here?”

“Uh-huh,” Drake bites his knuckle, Liam looking up at him for a moment as his kisses travel dangerously close. “God, I want you so fucking bad.”

He sucks in a breath as Liam’s fingers ghost over the places his lips have left, Liam whispering to him all the while, “Then let me make you feel good.”

When Liam lowers his head, Drake’s hits the wall as his other hand reaches out to steady himself on the desk to his left. “Jesus, you’re — fucking hell, Liam —”

Liam’s fingers dig into the back of his thighs, but Drake can barely feel it, eyes fluttering closed, one hand twisting in his hair. “Fuck, babe, your _mouth_.”

Liam shifts his position, and Drake’s breath catches hard, fingernails digging into the wood of the desk. At the sound, Liam sits back for a second. “Is that —?”

Drake shoves his head back down. “ _Yes_ , oh my god, do not _talk_ right now.”

When Liam moves the next time, Drake bites down on his lower lip, opening his eyes and nearly falling apart right then when he sees Liam looking up at him. Their eyes meet — Drake with his pupils blown out, Liam’s sparkling — and Drake stops breathing, momentarily stunned into silence looking down at the love of his life, the King of Cordonia, his Liam.

Liam’s hands move to his hips, gripping him tighter, pushing him closer, and Drake lets out a swear so obscene Liam almost laughs.

It’s only a few moments later that he stands up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and pulling Drake into him for a kiss. Drake’s fingers are shaking, tracing their way down Liam’s back. When they break for air, Drake says, “Jesus  _Christ_.”

There’s a smile in Liam’s eyes as he wraps one arm around Drake’s waist. “Hey.”

“You’re…” Drake is still breathing heavy, staring at Liam. “God, I love you. You are so fucking hot.”

The blush that creeps up in Liam’s cheeks then only makes him look more irresistible. He licks his lower lip slowly, and the things Drake wants when he watches him are too sinful to speak. Instead, he rakes his fingernails against Liam’s back, pulling him closer as Liam sinks his fingers into Drake’s hip. “Honestly Liam, you’re everyone’s teenage fantasy come to life. What are you doing with _me_?”

“I don’t know,” Liam grins, touching Drake’s cheek with his other hand, fingers so light on his skin after the marks they’d left just moments ago. “I guess I must be pretty in love with you, huh?”

Drake kisses him again, open-mouthed and needy, hands sliding down to Liam’s waist as he moves his lips along the side of Liam’s neck, teeth scraping the skin. Liam’s breath catches.

“For Christ’s sake,” Drake says, fumbling to undo the front of Liam’s slacks. “Take your pants off. Why are you still wearing these?”

“I was —” Liam inhales sharply as Drake yanks them down, fingers brushing against him in the process. “ _Distracted_.”

“I haven’t given you anything to be distracted about yet,” Drake whispers, kissing his collarbone, hands running over his abs. “I haven’t even told you what I really want.”

“Wh — what then,” Liam manages, eyes flickering closed. “What do you want?”

“You.” Drake moves back up Liam’s neck, sucking lightly just under his jaw. “I want you to fuck me.”

Liam’s hand snaps up to Drake’s head, pulling him against his mouth, tongue insistent against his lips until Drake obliges, holding back a moan. Liam’s fingers twist so tightly in his hair that it almost hurts, the other hand scraping a mark into his lower back.

“You like that, don’t you?” Drake whispers once Liam pauses to breathe, his face flushed. “You think you can fuck me until I forget about all you’ve put me through?”

“You think I can’t?”

“It’s been a while.”

“I’m not so sure you need to forget then,” Liam says, eyes bright with desire as they meet Drake’s. “I think you might need to _remember_.”

Drake feels electric, wrapped up in Liam, the two of them flush together. “Make me remember then. Make me whatever you want. I’m whatever you want tonight.”

“You always are,” Liam tells him, steadying his hands on Drake’s waist before lifting him up onto the desk at their side, Drake wrapping his legs around Liam just as Liam kisses him again, sighing into his mouth, tugging him closer by his hair. It’s years of pent up sexual frustration, their mouths so needy for each other, hands fumbling on each other’s bodies trying to touch as much as they can. When Drake tilts his head to kiss Liam’s neck, Liam makes a sound halfway between a moan and a laugh.

“I wish they could hear you,” Drake says, “All those nobles, the court… I wish they could hear the things I make you do. No one else could make you sound like that. I want them all to know I’m the only one who gets their King on his knees.”

“You are _filthy_ ,” Liam breathes, Drake sucking at the pulse point under his jaw.

“And you love it,” he whispers, kissing the red mark he’s left behind, lips trailing back up to the shell of Liam’s ear. “You fucking love it.”

“I do,” Liam says, grabbing him by the back of the neck, pulling his face close so their eyes meet. “But I’m ready for you to stop talking.”

Drake isn’t sure how much time goes by in the next moments that pass between them. It’s all a blur of lust and love and Liam, a thousand times better than the memories, a million times better than the dreams, the feeling so intense he bites down into his lip enough to draw blood.

“Is that okay?” Liam whispers, lips against his neck. “Are you good?”

“Yeah,” Drake answers, closing his eyes. “Fuck, I am so beyond good right now.”

Liam starts off gentle, like he always is, whispering sweet nothings to Drake when he brings their hips together. His hands are so soft, his touches fleeting, and Drake clings to his neck and sighs into his skin, “You can be reckless with me, babe. Whatever you want.”

“I want you like this,” Liam answers, teeth so light against Drake’s neck, biting down just enough to make his breath catch. “I want you to _want_ it.”

Liam presses kisses along his shoulders then, so agonizingly slow that finally Drake pulls Liam’s forehead against his, looking him straight in the eyes as he says, “I thought I told you to fuck me.”

Liam’s voice is practically a growl. “I thought I told you to stop talking.”

Drake feels the goosebumps rise on his neck as Liam brings their lips together, tugging at Drake’s with his teeth, his fingers leaving bruises along Drake’s thighs as he pushes back and the desk hits the wall, each time with a sound that makes Drake gasp. He doesn’t stop talking, but he definitely stops making sense; the two of them breathing ragged, Drake scratching down Liam’s back as Liam bites the skin of his shoulder.

“That’s —” Drake can’t string together a sentence to save his life, though it doesn’t stop him from trying. “You’re — _god_ , Liam…”

“Is this what your dreams were like?” Liam asks, nearly out of breath. “You dreamed about me like this?”

“Better, this is —” Drake hisses as Liam pushes him back so hard he has to brace himself against the wall this time. “Oh, _fuck_.”

Liam pulls Drake in close by his hair again. “Do I make you forget?” he says, slowing his pace, “You remember now who you belong to?”

“Liam,” Drake can’t even open his eyes properly, blinking at Liam in a daze. “I’m so — I love —”

“You’re not answering me.”

“I-I’m…” Drake manages, “ _You_ , always you — I want you, god, don’t _stop_ right now, fucking _Christ_ —”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Liam says, and Drake reaches out to tangle his hands in Liam’s hair, damp from sweat, bringing their mouths together messy and hot. Liam’s arms come around him again, lifting him from the desk and carrying him the next few steps to the bed. Drake reaches out to grab the bedpost and Liam pushes him down, climbing on top of him, kissing his neck again, already marked in so many places.

“Oh my god,” Drake says, arching in against Liam’s touch. “I am so fucking in love with you.”

Liam kisses the side of his cheek. “I know you are.”

He trails kisses across his face, lips ghosting along the spots where Drake’s freckles used to be. Drake tilts his head against the pillow, running one hand down Liam’s body, lingering. “You’re not _finished_ , Liam.”

Liam laughs, kissing his forehead. “Maybe I’m trying to memorize this.”

“ _Li-am_ ,” Drake whines. “I will do this for you any time you want, as long as you want, and you can memorize it then, okay? I promise.”

“Maybe I want to memorize right now,” Liam pauses above him, looking into his eyes. “But you won’t stop talking, so I keep having to start over.”

“Don’t lie,” Drake lets the corner of his lips quirk up, gazing back at Liam. “You like my mouth, even when it’s dirty. _Especially_ when it’s dirty.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah,” Drake says, emboldened, eyes sparkling. “You love it when I tell you how I want you, how good you make me feel. That gets you off, doesn’t it? You wanna hear exactly what you do to me.” He tilts his head up, moving closer to Liam’s face. “Well I’ll tell you, but first you have to give me something to talk about.”

Liam shifts against him, and Drake breathes in sharply, still holding his gaze. Liam leans even closer then, lips almost touching. “Like that?”

“You’re — you’re almost there,” Drake brings his free hand up to Liam’s hip, digging his fingers in. “Fuck, I could do this all night with you.”

Liam kisses the corner of his mouth. “I love you.”

“What about your dreams?” Drake is breathing ragged. “You… you dream about me like this?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“I bet you did. I bet you thought about me every time you — _fuck.”_

“Was that okay?”

“Yeah, I’m… I’m just — Jesus fuck, _Liam_ …”

Liam kisses the opposite corner this time, and Drake tastes sweat and sin and lust against his lips. “Tell me what you need, love. Anything you want.”

“ _You_ , I — I need more of you. You’re so fucking hot — Christ, I want all of you.”

“You’ve got me. I’m right here.”

“Make me yours again, like you — like you used to… when you… oh my _god_ , Liam, that’s — shit, don’t stop, _please_ —”

“Shh, I know.”

Drake is losing focus again, his grip starting to slacken. “Just keep… just keep doing that, babe… fuck, that is _so_ good.”

Liam’s lips brush against his ear, voice so low it’s barely a whisper. “Is this your something to talk about?”

“Fuck yes,” Drake murmurs. Liam slips his hands under Drake’s thighs, pushing him back up against the headboard in one move. His head falls back against it. “ _Liam_.”

“Maybe you should hold on,” Liam whispers when Drake’s fingers begin to slip from the bedpost.

“You —” Drake gasps, biting down on his thumb when Liam pushes against him again. “Oh my god, Liam, I’m not gonna m-make —  _shit. Fuck_.”

Liam moves one hand to Drake’s neck, holding him in place. “You’re mine,” he says, eyes alight like fire. “You can forget everything else, but you’re _mine_.”

“Uh-huh,” Drake looks back at him, heavy-lidded. “Liam, I love you, I love — fuck, I’m —”

“You belong to _me_.”

“You feel — that’s so fucking _good_.”

“You’re so good,” Liam breathes, leaning in to kiss his neck. “You’re doing so good for me.”

Drake pulls Liam to his lips, meeting his mouth in a moan, wrapping his legs tighter around him. He tries to speak, but he can’t bring himself to stop kissing Liam, one hand in his hair now, pulling.

“I could look at you like this all day,” Liam murmurs against his lips.

Drake’s back hits the headboard then, and he bites down on Liam’s lip with a hiss. Liam reaches over him to grab the edge of it with his free hand, steadying himself.

“I really — I’m gonna —”

“Okay love, I’ve got you.”

“Liam,” Drake’s voice has gone breathy and soft, “Liam, Liam, Liam…”

“Look at me. I want to see you.”

“ _Liam_.”

His hand tightens on the bedpost, locking eyes with Liam for a moment before he pulls him as close as he possibly can, head falling forward against his shoulder with a sharp exhale. Liam slips one hand into his hair, holding him there as his heartbeat quickens and slows.

When Drake finally melts in against him, Liam kisses along the top of his head, lips gentle, taking his time.

“You are the love of my life, Drake Walker,” he whispers.

Drake burrows in against his neck. “Shh — just… need a sec.”

Liam presses another kiss in his hair. “I’ve got you.”

It’s a minute or so before Drake finally lets out a long, shuddery breath, leaning back and looking up at Liam with his face flushed. “Okay, wow… Jesus fucking Christ, Liam.”

Liam brushes his hand against Drake’s cheek, fingertips almost cold against the heat in his face. “Did you like that?”

Drake exhales slowly, running a hand through his hair, trying to brush back the pieces stuck to his forehead. “You’re honestly pure sin, you know?”

Liam laughs, pressing his face into the crook of Drake’s neck. “Mm, is that a compliment?”

“Oh my god, yes.” Drake breathes in deep, still trying to catch his breath. “You are irresistible. That was… I’m _never_ letting you go again.”

“Thanks,” Liam laughs again, tilting his face back up to look at Drake. “I’ve been thinking of that for… a long time.”

Drake presses his forehead to Liam’s. “You’re so hot. You are absolutely the hottest person I’ve ever seen. How does anyone spend more than a second around you and not try to jump you the first chance they get? You’re like the physical embodiment of sex, Liam. Fucking hell.”

“You’re going to make me get a big head,” Liam smiles. “My crown won’t fit.”

“I don’t care. You should know. I want…” Drake sucks in a tiny breath, eyes searching Liam’s face before continuing, just a touch nervous, “I want my boyfriend to know how fucking hot he is.”

“Your boyfriend?”

“Yeah.”

Liam is smiling so hard it almost hurts Drake’s cheeks to look at. “Well, he says you’re very sweet.”

Drake laughs, kissing the bridge of his nose. “Really? Earlier he called me filthy.”

“It’s not mutually exclusive.”

“You’re just as bad, you know.”

“Am not!”

Drake presses a hand to Liam’s chest, following the lines of muscle with his fingers. “After _that_? Yeah you are. I don’t think I could move right now even if I wanted to.”

“Well, good,” Liam muses, eyes sparkling, “Because _I_ want you right here.”

He gets up to take a shower, promising to be quick and leaving Drake with enough kisses to take his breath away all over again. While Drake listens to the water running in the other room, he brushes a hand through his hair and tries to calm his heartbeat. Every single part of him feels lit up, like the skyscrapers outside those enormous hotel windows. He still can’t quite believe what just happened.

Thank the fucking lord he bought that compass.

He sits up when he hears the bathroom door open, Liam coming out in just boxer-briefs and a white t-shirt, smelling delicious. Drake is grinning like an idiot by the time Liam climbs back into the bed, straddling his lap and laughing as Drake presses their foreheads together.

Liam leans in and Drake hums against his tentative kiss, parting his lips when Liam runs his tongue along the seam, sighing into his mouth. Liam lays him back down onto the bed, twisting onto his side, legs tangled together among the sheets. When Drake finally pulls back, Liam is gazing at him with far more adoration than he deserves.

“Stay the night with me,” he says; not a request, but a promise. “I want to fall asleep with you.”

“What did I say earlier about not moving?” Drake reaches across to stroke his hair, brushing the wayward pieces off his forehead. “I would stay here for weeks if you asked me to.”

“Mm, don’t say that or I just might.” Liam is still watching him like he’s hung the moon, enraptured in a way that deepens the blush on Drake’s cheeks even further. His eyes look heavy, blinking slowly each time Drake’s fingers run over his scalp.

“I love you Liam,” Drake says softly, the words only for the two of them. “Honestly, I think I’m falling in love with you all over again.”

Liam’s smile is so beautiful to him that it hurts. “I fall in love with you every time I see you.”

Drake kisses him, soft and chaste and exactly the opposite of everything before. He feels so warm, inside and out, so perfectly at peace that he doesn’t want a single thing to change, a single minute to pass by. Only Liam. Always Liam.

“Are you good?” Drake asks when Liam ducks his head down, nestling in against his chest. “I mean, I didn’t really get the chance to…”

“Mhm,” Liam’s eyes are closed, one hand running absently along Drake’s side. “So, so good.”

“Okay,” Drake drapes his arm around Liam, letting his knuckles brush the skin of his shoulder. “Tomorrow’s just for you, then.”

Liam smiles dreamily, eyes still closed. “You called me babe.”

“Did I?” Drake brings his hand up to stroke the side of Liam’s face. “Honestly, I don’t remember half the things I said. I only remember you.”

“I liked it,” Liam says. “It felt like we were… real.”

Something breaks in his voice, and Drake looks down, touching Liam’s shoulder gently when he sees the tears in his eyes. “Hey, is something wrong?”

“No,” Liam whispers, turning his head to look back up at him. “It’s not that. I’m just… I’m so happy. I’m so, so happy.”

They both are.

—

Drake wakes up before Liam (a first), and lays there a moment, eyes closed, letting the night before wash over him. Liam has curled tighter around him in sleep, one arm slung low over Drake’s hips, and the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathes sends shivers up Drake’s spine.

It wasn’t a dream. None of it was a dream.

He’s so warm in Liam’s embrace that he doesn’t want to move, doesn’t want to risk the chance that this could all still fall apart. The room is dark, curtains drawn tight, and he looks down at Liam’s face and brushes his fingers through his hair.

Ever so carefully, he extracts himself from Liam’s arms and slips down off the bed, wary not to make too much noise as he crosses into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

As he lets the water heat up, he looks at himself in the mirror, surveying the damage from last night. There are red marks all along his neck, with one particularly angry bruise blooming amongst them. He runs his finger across it, wincing slightly, making a mental note to be sure to wear something with a collar.

In the shower, he lets his mind run, all the scenarios he had been shoving aside the night before coming into focus. What were they doing? How was this supposed to work? In what world could their relationship be private, especially with Liam in such a public role? Did they really think this was going to be _easy_?

He turns off the water and closes his eyes, breathing in the steam for a moment. They’ll figure it out. The worries can be for tomorrow; today is for Liam.

He steps out, reaching for a towel and drying off before the cold air hits too harshly. At least the floors of the bathrooms are heated (“It’s the Presidential Suite,” Liam had told him sheepishly when they all first checked in), which is a welcome comfort. Nobody ever said being with royalty didn’t have its perks.

He stops at Liam’s closet, pulling on one of his t-shirts and boxers, before making his way back to the bed. Liam is still nestled in under the covers, perfectly serene. Drake pauses there, looking at him: eyelashes brushing the tops of his cheeks, hair messy and unkempt, a sliver of visible skin at his hips crisscrossed with scratch marks. Drake loves him then more than he ever has.

His phone lights up on the bedside table and he hazards a glance towards it, notifications littering the screen. When he picks it up to check, the newest text is from Maxwell, written in all caps: _DID NOT HEAR YOU COME BACK TO YOUR ROOM LAST NIGHT MISSION ACCOMPLISHED?????_

Drake rolls his eyes and replies. _Mind your own business._

Maxwell answers almost seconds later with a long string of exclamation points.

At his quiet laugh, Liam opens his eyes, blinking up at him. “Where’d you go?” he asks sleepily, stretching his arms over his head.

“Just took a shower.” Drake sets his phone down and crawls back into bed, kissing Liam softly as he pulls the covers over the two of them. “Good morning.”

“Mm, you smell nice,” Liam reaches for him. “Come here.”

Drake smiles. “You’re so funny when you’re tired. It’s cute.”

“You’re cute.” Liam yawns, pulling Drake towards him by his arm. “Come on, we’re sleeping in.”

Drake moves closer, kissing his cheek. “You have a press conference.”

“Don’t care.” Liam’s eyes are already closed. “I’ll cancel it. Sleeping in.”

“ _Liam_.”

Liam opens his eyes again, sighing. “Fine. If you must know… I canceled it last night. Before you came over.”

“Wow, really?” Drake laughs. “I’m that much of a sure thing?”

“I hoped.”

Liam gazes at him, and Drake feels his face get hot under the intensity of his adoration. Liam’s still so soft from sleep, royal decorum not setting in yet, and the emotional filter he usually has is lost somewhere among their scattered clothes.

“I love you,” he says to Drake. “You’re everything to me.”

Drake takes Liam’s hand under the covers, squeezing it gently. “I love you too.”

A soft smile spreads across Liam’s face. “We’re good together, aren’t we?”

“Yeah,” Drake runs his thumb along the skin of Liam’s hand, rubbing tiny circles over his knuckles. “We’re really fucking good.”

Liam closes his eyes, relaxing back into the bed. “Let’s just spend the day like this. I’ll order room service and we never have to leave.”

“Fine by me,” Drake smiles, tucking his head in against Liam’s shoulder. Liam wraps his arm around his waist, knees brushing together under the sheets.

They fall back asleep like that, worries kept at bay, and for once, Drake doesn’t dream about anything at all.


End file.
